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Island Golf

Discover the best courses of the Caribbean

A golf vacation in the Caribbean - doesn't that sound great? Golf all day long, if you so desire. And sun, sand and beach when you don't feel like golf. Practically all the island nations in the Caribbean are tourist friendly - making their livelihood welcoming both casual visitors on vacation and golfers on holiday. The Caribbean is an ideal place to spend your vacation, with many activities to keep your family out of your hair while you play golf the whole day long, everyday of the week. Just playing golf for fun amidst the wonderful scenery of the many golf resorts dotting the Caribbean islands.

For a casual golfer, this is a great opportunity to recharge yourself. A chance to get away from your usual golf haunts. A chance to play in different terrain with the beautiful sea shining in the sun over the horizon. Just relax and forget about the golf swing instructions and mechanics that you were struggling with for the past year. Forget your golf swing techniques and golf putting tips for a little while and just play for fun while soaking in the refreshing atmosphere of the islands. Relax away the stress and normal anxieties, and just maybe that perfect swing which you were desperately trying to learn will just come together for you. After all, it is just like finding your car keys when they go missing - they turn up when you stop hunting for them.

Here is a list of the most famous Caribbean islands which cater to golfers. Your tour operator could probably find you a discount package for the golf resorts on these islands:

• Barbados - this tiny nation hosted the 2006 World Golf Championships World Cup and has many world class golf courses
• Dominican Republic - another Caribbean nation famed for its many world class golf courses and resorts
• Jamaica
• Aruba
• Virgin Islands
• Puerto Rico

And this is a list of some of the more famous resorts and golf courses (no doubt your local tour operator can recommend more):

• Rio Mar Beach Resort in Puerto Rico - this resort hosts Greg Norman's first golf course designed for the Caribbean. This breathtaking course is framed by both mountains and ocean, and retains its natural foliage. The hole placements were determined by natural terrain. It is characterised by wide fairways, open greens, shallow bunkers, and light rough - ideal for golfers of all skill levels.
• Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados - this golf resort hosts 2 world-class 18-hole golf courses designed by Tom Fazio as well as the famous Old Nine built 50 years ago. The Old Nine is an affordable budget 9-hole golf course. Sandy Lane was voted the 2007 GOlf Resort of the Year by The International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO).
• Royal Westmoreland in Barbados - this resort's golf course is set at varying heights of 200 feet to 300 feet above sea level. The many different elevations make this is a challenging 18-hole golf course and was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.
• Barbados Golf and Country Club - this was originally built in 1974 and completely overhauled in 2000. Definitely a challenging course. In fact, challenging enough that it was chosen to host a Champions Tour tournament. The course is not only tough, it is an awesome spectacle with bunkers carved from coral waste. Despite this, it is affordable to many budgets.
• Rockley Golf Course - ideal for women and seniors. It is the oldest golf course in the Barbados, offering the finest parkland golf. The course rewards golfers with accurate golf swing techniques. Excellent for all levels of players and also one of the most affordable in the Caribbean.
• Half Moon Resort in Jamaica - a favorite golf course of Jack Nicklaus. Is this good or bad for you? Regardless, with an endorsement like this, you just have to try it and find out for yourself.
• Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic has been named the top course on any of the Caribbean islands by Golf Magazine. As befits is fame, it is also one of the most expensive.
• Hilton's Coral brand of all inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic - this chain of golf resorts is ideal for budget golfers. You even get Gary Player's recent Guavaberry course, which is a beautiful and well designed facility.
• Playa Dorado in the Dominican Republic - designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and ranked in Golf Digest's foreign Top 100 courses outside the U.S.

So what are you waiting for, an invitation? Go plan your next vacation already - golf for you, and sun, sand and surf for your family. And who knows - playing at the spectacular Caribbean golf courses may just inspire your golf skills to new heights.

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